Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Blackberry Tart

J and my brother-in-law loved it. For me, it was just okay. I liked the crust. The blackberries were great. I'm a huge fan of mascarpone cheese, but it had too much of a honey taste for me.

The crust actually caused me some problems, but I think it worked out for the best in the end. I don't have a tart pan, so I used a glass pie dish - this may be what caused the trouble.

So I baked the crust with the pie weights (designated pinto beans), but when I took the pie weights out, the crust slumped down the sides until it was just a big crust puddle on the bottom. I ended up just squishing it down to make an extra thick bottom crust and then baked it for about 7 minutes longer. It ended up with a great taste and perfect crunch and I didn't miss the side crust. All's well that ends well.

It is a great summer dessert, so give it a try if you like honey and blackberries.

Stir together the egg yolk, water and vanilla and set aside. Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and beat on medium-low speed (with paddle attachment) until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and beat on low speed just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, lifting and turning the dough occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the work surface. It should be large enough to line a 9-inch tart pan and about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the tart pan (or pie pan), press it into the sides, and trim to remove the excess.

Cover the dough with foil and fill with pie weights (dried pinto beans). Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and pie weights and gently poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Bake until the crust is golden, 15-20 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the filling, mix the mascarpone, sour cream, and honey and beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract and nutmeg.

Spread the filling into the cooled tart shell and smooth the top with a spatula. Top with fresh blackberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Andrea, you're killing me. My mouth waters every time I check your blog. I did finally discover the world's BEST chocolate cake. I'll email you the secret recipe. It's so fun to see what you're making!